During Henry Gilbey’s presentation at The Big One earlier this month, he mentioned that he often finds himself retrieving lures too quickly at this time of year. I found this very interesting, and it certainly reignited some previous thoughts I had on the idea, many of which had been formed back when I was trying to decide on which baitcaster I should choose for my pike fishing. At the time, I had no idea about the range of different gear ratios that are available within the same make and model. Although I could find plenty of videos about the gear ratios of baitcasters, the vast majority of the information was aimed at the American freshwater bass scene, and there was very little information about how this may be applied in the UK. A few months later, I came across the same thing when debating whether to buy the regular or high-speed (HS) Penn Slammer IV. I found that there was very little information about the gear ratios of spinning reels in general, and virtually nothing about the advantages of each model for saltwater lure fishing in the UK. The companies which make the same model reel in different gear ratios must do so for a reason, but how many people in the UK actually put any thought into which option to choose?
The Mighty Penn Slammer IV 2500HS
Let’s use the utterly awesome, and very popular, Penn Slammer IV 2500 as an example. When looking at the regular model, it has a gear ratio of 6.2:1, meaning that for every one turn of the reel handle, the bail arm will rotate around the spool 6.2 times. On the other hand, the high-speed model has a gear ratio of 7.0:1. Now to me, it is hard to interpret the effect of these figures in real-world fishing. Therefore, I prefer to look at the how these numbers affect the recovery rate, which is the length of line that a reel can recover back onto it's spool with one turn of the handle. When looking at the Penn Slammer IV 2500, the standard version has a recovery rate of 84cm, whilst the recovery rate of the high-speed model is 99cm. Although a 15cm difference (per turn of the reel handle) may not seem like much, I think that when fishing with a constant or semi-constant retrieve, the difference in speed at which the lures move is significant. So which model should I choose?
A slow presentation is often key when takes are hard to come by
When it came to choosing which model to buy, I opted for the high speed variant for three main reasons. Firstly, a high speed reel gives you the ability to eliminate any slack line quickly and easily. It was very interesting to listen to some videos about how this applies when fishing with topwater frogs for largemouth bass over in the US. They see it as a very important feature of high speed reels, and will take a whole separate setup just so they can fish with a high-speed reel for certain lure fishing styles. Although this is at one extreme, many of the reasons that they opt for these reels also apply to some of our most popular lure fishing methods in the UK. For example, when bumping 'lead-head' style soft plastics (such as a Savage Gear weedless minnow), or twitching weedless, weightless plastics (such as a gravity stick), any slack line that is created during the retrieve can be eliminated with a shorter turn of the reel handle. This makes it easier to remain in direct contact with the lure, which of course is important for many reasons.
A high gear ratio can be a very useful attribute when fishing over rough ground
The second reason I like a high speed variant is that I can crank a lure out of snags more easily. For example, if working a lead-head style lure in a deep gully at range, I can work the lure out of any close-in patches of shallower rough ground more easily. I also find this really beneficial when fishing for wrasse, as you are often fishing in deeper holes and gullies that may be surrounded by shallower ground.
High-speed reels can help crank lures away from snags
The last reason that made me opt for the Penn Slammer IV 2500HS model, is the idea that a high-speed variant can do everything that a standard model can, but not vice versa. However, the more I think about it, the more I doubt this logic. For example, whilst it is technically possible to just reel in more slowly with a high-speed model, does this work in reality? Whilst fishing, it is impossible to think constantly about the speed of your retrieve, and therefore your mind wonders. When this happens, I find that the speed at which I'm winding inevitably speeds up - particularly in the cold or when there is a lack of bites! Therefore, would it be beneficial to use the standard model when a slower presentation is required? Would it affect catch rates at all? Could this help increase takes in the colder months?
Furthermore, it raises the question of whether it would be possible to produce a low speed model. It may be that a low speed reel is impossible, as it may require a larger internal mechanism and reel body. If I’m honest, I have no idea! However, if it was possible to produce, could it be a huge benefit to our fishing here in the UK, particularly in slower winter months?
The inner workings of the Penn Slammer IV 2500HS
Does the gear ratio of a reel have any effect on UK bass fishing? Would a low speed model be a useful addition? I would be very interested to know your thoughts...
